Stalker
by DragonFlavor
Summary: The life of the Tenno is filled with tragedy and hatred. But what happens to those who lose the ones dearest to them? Rated M for slight mature content. (Oneshot)


_**Here's a short drabble that has been bothering me for a short while. I couldn't even sleep with this stupid idea still ringing in my head. It's for you to decide whether you like it or not, but please be sure to leave a review so I can see what problems I may have with this story that I can fix and avoid for future stories. Without further ado, hope you enjoy the story.**_

_** I do not own Warframe or any of it's characters.**_

* * *

He was finally here. My time had finally come.

All the years waiting and killing had finally paid off.

The combat that surrounded me was muted when I saw him come. His posture was calm, but powerful. I could see every subtle hint of pure confidence through the black smoke that enveloped his body. I could feel nothing but pure excitement as I watched him appear before me. The elation I felt was indescribable. He was finally here.

The combat that surrounded me was now entirely dead, it didn't exist anymore. My team was gone from the area, so I there was no need to worry about them interrupting.

He was mine now. After all these years, he targeted me. His _last_ mistake.

No. The moment he killed my love, the moment I saw him pull his scythe out of her body. That was his last mistake. It was only now that his fate was sealed.

I could remember every detail of it, all those years ago.

* * *

We were hardened assassins. Our clan, the Hidden Blade, had been labeled as one of the best by the Lotus. All the those wounds and battle scars had finally paid off and we couldn't help but revel in the idea that we were some of the best Tenno known today.

After a night of festivities, we finally returned to our quarters.

The next day was our next contract, a capture mission. Simple, but we would need plenty of rest.

I watched as Falt and Delik trudged towards rooms, their footsteps uneven and clumsy, hugging the walls got balance. It appeared they were drunk. Again.

We said our goodnights to each other, before Falt clumsily lumbered her way into Delik's form. The idea of what they were planning was blatantly clear. I decided to warn them of the upcoming task, mirth clear in my throat. "Don't stay up too late, you two. We've got a contract tomorrow and I want us to live another day."

Delik only grumbled a brief, "yeah yeah" before I heard the door of the Ember and Frost Warframes' room click shut.

I shook my head with a chuckle before opening the door to my dorm and waking inside. From the darkness, I felt silky arms wrap around my neck, gently, lovingly.

I turned my head at the click of a door and pair of lips were crushed against mine. For seconds we were enraptured by that heated kiss. Fires danced in our hearts as we prolonged our connection, warning both our cores as it chased on longer and longer.

It was only because if need to breathe that it finally ended. I found myself missing those delicate lips, wishing for more of her taste.

Val was her name. Short for Valor, a human name given to her by the parents she had lost at a young age. The perfect name.

This Saryn Warframe was my soul, my life. We were one; entwined by the same love, the same heart. She was the light if my life. It was her that encouraged me to be the best I could be, and in return I did the same for her. She was my lover. The one with whom I wanted to spend my life with.

She hugged herself tight against me, enveloping me in a tight embrace from behind. I couldn't help but smile at the feeling of bare breast pressing against my back. She was stark naked, hungry for me. Some things never change. Her voice came with purr, I could feel her breath crawl against the nape if my neck.

"We have you to thank for this," she laid gently butterfly kisses against my neck, making my skin crawl in delight. "We wouldn't have gotten where we are without you."

I turned my head and our tongues were locked in a battle of wills once more.

I used the distraction to turn my body to face her. Her legs were suddenly wrapped around my waist and I pressed her against the door, deepening the kiss. We continued in this position for several minutes before we broke, breathless and panting in excitement.

I couldn't help but marvel in her beauty again, just like the many times I looked at her before. Light pink hair that traveled down her back in flawless strands. Her sharp silver eyes carried that vicious intensity that was acquired by us assassins, but not today. Today they were full if adoration and emotion. Her beautifully framed face was visible even in the dark, almost as if she carried this bright energy about her. Not even the thin scar on her cheek could ruin her beauty.

"You're as much to thank for this as I am," l whispered to her. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have gotten this far."

I teased her lips with mine, making her shudder with want before finally giving her what she wanted.

I carried her with me, slowly making my way to mattress we were to share tonight. We continued our contest the entire way through, not stopping until I carefully laid her against the soft mattress.

My eyes did a once over of her body before meeting her gaze.

Before we leaned in for another session, I quickly reminded myself of what we were to do tomorrow. As much as I hated it, our love making seasons wouldn't be as prolonged as they'd normally be.

"We can't take too long tonight," I whispered between smooches. "We have an assignment for tomorrow."

"Mmm..." Val moaned against my neck. "Forget the assignment."

I chuckled, laying kisses against her collar. "I wish I could."

"Just three rounds then."

"Two, and we can do plenty afterwards."

Val mulled my offer over for a second before conceding. "Fine, you better make it satisfying."

"You can bet on it," I said with a smirk. She gave me a sly grin before we finally began the night's fun.

* * *

Corpus were everywhere, the capture mission I believed would go by without a problem was actually much more difficult than I had originally anticipated.

While they weren't especially strong, the waves of Corpus were almost infinite in number. They delayed us at every doorway, negating us our ability to capture our targets.

We had captured one of the Corpus targets and well on the way to finding the next until an echoing whisper surrounded the four of us.

We all knew what it was. All of us remembered the tales heard from within all clan, tales of Tenno being targeted by dark force; one that would negate all their abilities entirely and hunt them down like animals. The Stalker. Of all the people that this individual had targeted, none were known to survive. The corps suddenly filtered out if the terminus, away from the incoming threat.

All lights in the facility flickered. _**"Valor, you can't run from your past..."**_

'_Oh no…'_

We all heard the voice clear as day but only one of us truly felt it. I looked to Valor to see her fidgeting slightly; fear was beginning to creep up on her.

"Valor, stay in the center." I muttered to her. Val easily complied, positioning herself in between the three of us.

_**"There is no salvation got your crimes against Captain Vor, Tyl Regor, Councilor Vay Hek, and Kela De Thaym…"**_ the voice came again. We looked around the terminus station for the origin of the voice, turning this way and that for the threat. He was taunting us, filling our chests with dread as we waited for him to strike from the shadows.

'_Protect her with your life…' _the words appeared to echo in my head with each passing second. I would do whatever it took to keep her safe; we would make it through this. Some small part of me was beginning to fill with dread, however.

"_**Your sentence is death!"**_

"There!" I shouted pointing at a catwalk above us. On his knees he leered at us. His body was consumed by black smoke as he slowly rose to his feet, slowly pulling a dark bow from behind his back. The smoke continued even after standing.

I meet his gaze with my own, pulling out my Gremlins in preparation for the incoming fight.

In an instant, he vanished.

With a plum of black smoke, he appeared before Delik, scythe coming down in a downward slash. Delik narrowly avoided the attack by leaping to the side, firing a rapid volley of bullets from his Vastos in an attempt to stagger the enemy.

The stalker deflected the bullets with the blade of his scythe before disappearing from sight again; a fireball sailed past the location he once was.

Falt was only barely able to counter a slash from the Stalker's scythe with her own blades, before the Ember and her heat swords were tossed to the side. I pelted the Stalker's shields with a hail of nails before he disappeared again, this time manifesting behind me.

I the Excalibur Warframe, a master of the blade, avoided a narrow swing and ground my Ether in to the Stalker's gut. His shields absorbed most of the damage, but it was clear I had hurt him. I saw blood trickle out of his wound before delivering a swift kick to the same location, causing him to stagger backwards.

In an instant, his body took a familiar poise and my eyes widened in surprise. I rolled to the side, avoiding a deadly slash dash. It was only then that I noticed my grave error. It was all a trick, a ploy to get us to separate. The dash ended, just as he reached Val. The Saryn was not adept in close combat situations; the Glaive was her only melee weapon.

'_No!'_

Val tried to defend herself, firing shots from her Embolist in an attempt to repel the enemy. The Stalker avoided every slow shot. Within seconds, he reached her position. The arm that fired the Embolist was twisted and she was flung over the Stalker's shoulder.

"NO!"

We all tried to save her. The shots we fired were at an empty space. It was worthless.

They both disappeared in black smoke. Gone from sight.

"VAL!" I shouted at the empty space before turning to my comrades. "WE HAVE TO FIND HER, HURRY!"

Not a moment was wasted when we took off separate directions.

'_If she is killed…_ _No no, she'll be fine. We'll make it out of this, we just have to find her!'_As much as I fought these poisonous thoughts, I couldn't help the doubt that crept into my mind. I could feel it corrupt all my thoughts, slowly, painfully.

All of my thoughts were cut off as I sprinted into the next room. The scene hit me with the intensity of a cannon. Every detail that I saw was magnified a thousand-fold. Desperation, rage, horror, dread. It all struck me all at once, tightening around my heart like a hungry snake. She stood in the grasp of the Stalker. In her chest, piercing all the way through her Warframe armor was the Hate, the dreaded scythe that to this day haunted my memories..

The Stalker watched me, mocking me as I fell to my knees. He looked directly at me as he slowly removed the scythe out of my lover's chest, his body slowly being enveloped by the billowing black smoke. The last thing I saw from him was his emblem, the Serpent among the Scythe, before he finally faded from sight within the black wisps of smoke. Blood was spilt; his target was finished.

I would remember that emblem forever.

I felt nothing. I felt empty. I could only stare at my lover's body, helpless and weak. It was only after several minutes that my mind finally registered everything that initially happened that I dreadfully crawled my way to my fallen love.

"V-Val?" I whispered to the cold air. There was no response.

I finally made it to my lover heart chilled with dread. "Val..?"

I disengaged her helmet and it slowly folded back into its seams to reveal her face. Her beautiful face was marred by tears and blood. It was the face of the one I had fallen in love with. Even in death it seemed so serene. I wiped away blood from her lips with a trembling hand. "V-Val..?"

'_Please! If there is any God out there! Please don't let it end like this!'_

No matter how much pleaded and begged to the heavens, no answer ever came. Valor died in my arms.

* * *

I don't remember how much I cried, how much I screamed. I don't remember if we finished the mission. Frankly, I couldn't care less. The world was dead to me after that. I was dead to the world.

I rarely ate. Rarely slept. Never talked to anyone else other than Lotus. She understood what I wanted and no matter how much she pleaded for me to rest, to stop, she always conceded with my requests. Nothing else mattered to me anymore.

Nowadays, it was a common occurrence for my squadmates to die. Delik and Falt had long left the clan after my state of mind fell into my dark abyss, and the Hidden Blade soon fell apart.

I fought harder; my strikes were swift and brutal. I killed every valuable asset to every enemy faction, waiting for my time to finally come.

And my time was finally here.

I stood tall against the being before me. He manifested from that same shroud of darkness as many years ago. Confidence exuded of his person, making my chest rumble with pure anger.

On his shoulder was that same emblem. The Serpent among the Scythe. The emblem of my very enemy.

Now I was sure it was him.

I had long cleared the Grineer facility of any of it's inhabitants, leaving me alone to combat my quarry. He wouldn't leave this place alive. I would make sure of it.

The images of those dreaded memories flooded into my mind, infusing me with that very same rage, despair and hatred as before. It was stronger this time. My revenge was secure. It was right in the palm of my hand, I just had to take it.

The Stalker finally stood up from his kneel, standing proud on his feet. Upon seeing him brandish his black bow, I tossed my favored weapon secondary weapons at my waist were also soon discarded. Understanding my intentions, the Stalker did the same. The bow, the kunai went to the side.

This was to be a battle of blades, a battle of skill.

Pure determination caused my hands to vibrate with the intensity of my grasp as I poised for combat.

Minutes passed and we stood, unmoving.

The silence was then cut by the clash of blades. Clanging and crashing against each other, causing sparks to bounce against the floors of the facility. My swipes were fast and brutal. With each pass I made, I formed a new wound on my enemy's body.

I dodged a wide swipe and ground my Ether against the Stalker's pelvis, just as I had done many years before. A wave of Déjà vu hit me, and before I knew it I had landed a rather powerful kick to the same wound. The Stalker wouldn't be fooled twice, however.

He caught my leg with a single hand, raising the Hate in preparation for dismemberment. The action was cut short as I landed a roundhouse to his skull. He staggered to the side slightly and I took this opportunity to move in for another strike. The Stalker's weapon was brought up just in time to deflect my Ether, catching my momentum and using it against me.

Me weapon was lobbed to the side, and I was kicked backwards, unarmed. He took a familiar poise, preparing for a Slash Dash to end my life.

I leapt to the side in time to narrowly avoid it, before turning to see him sprinting after me.

All the energy I had saved in preparation for this moment was finally unleashed. Raising an open hand for him to see, I felt energy rush to my open palm. I did something that Excaliburs were sworn never to do. The energy tore at my Warframe. With nothing to channel the energy, the armor that laced my hand was steadily burned and charred before my flesh followed suit.

After the Radial Blind ended, my hand was dark and covered with a burned husk. I couldn't feel the pain. The rage that enveloped me wouldn't let me feel.

My target was clutching his face in agony. He felt every single strike of energy rush into his eyes as if he had stared directly at the sun.

I took advantage of this moment, striking him with brutal intensity, kicking away his scythe and beating his helmet with unrestrained rage. I forced him down to his knees before gripping his throat with an unrelenting grip. He choked in my grasp several times as I prepared to break his helmet into his skull.

"_**How did it feel to watch her die?" **_The Stalkers words made my eyes widen before my teeth clenched. _**"To watch her life slowly fade away in your hands?"**_

I ground my fist against his ruined helmet, causing the husk to cave in before I tore it away to reveal my victim's face. His eyes were a deep black, emotionless. They betrayed the smirk that was plastered across his face. The smile made me angry.

**_"She was crying when I did it... Crying for you to help_ her..."** The words empowered my fists with anger and I struck harder. '_Shut up!'_

I crushed his face against the metallic floor; his face was swollen from my onslaught and even then I didn't stop. _And he wouldn't stop talking!_

_**"I could hear her whispering your name as I did it..."** _He made no cry of pain as I broke his leg, splitting the bone into a compound fracture.

**_"It hurt... didn't it?"_**His taunts crawled further into my thick shell and I let out a growl as I beat him into the floor harder.

He remained silent after this. I wouldn't give him the chance to speak again, taking every opportunity to strike his face with a harder punch. It was several minutes before I finally heard him, it was only because I had tired that I relented.

"_**You want to know**_ something?" I sneered at his words and looked in his eyes as he spoke. _**"The Saryn was never my intended target…"**_

The words pierced my chest, hollowing out anything that remained. I could feel my mind empty all of the emotions that had once resided in me. That was the last straw. _'I was...'_

The words that struck me caused a change within me. All these years, I neglected to see what I was doing to myself. My mind had slowly become infested with the thoughts of revenge that I failed to see what I had allowed to happen.

Determined to accomplish my ambition by whatever means possible, I neglected to remove my Warframe. It was dangerous to never remove one's armor, there were rumors that one's body would slowly mutate from constant exposure to the suits.

I failed to see it. The rumors were true, I failed to see the taint that had corrupted me from the inside out. The once proud white and red was faded, replaced by the same blackness that overwhelmed my heart. I was no longer an Excalibur. I was something else entirely.

As I raised the blade that was once that of my rival's, I tried to remember all the very emotions I felt alongside my lover. But there were none, they were gone.

I dropped the blade into my target, and it was over. My goal was fulfilled.

It did not come without consequence. I was no longer the same man I was years ago. That man had died alongside his fallen lover.

_**My name is Ka' Maal, and I am a stalker…**_


End file.
